HEAVY XXL Puerto Escondido Wipeout

Tom Lowe falling from the sky on an insane Mexican BOMB. Photo: Bastien Bonnarme

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I arrived in Mexico from France with Jerome Sahyoun, Fred Berho, and Othmane Choufani. Ever since we saw that dark, ominous purple blob on the forecast, we were all frothing to be part of the swell. The day before we arrived, 20-foot sets were said to be rolling through and locals said it was just getting bigger. The anticipation was killing us.

When we woke up in the morning, we could hear the ocean long before we saw it. It was loud. The ocean was angry. Very, very angry. It was easily the largest waves I had ever seen, and Tom, like many guys out there were doing, was pushing the limits of what was humanly possible by simply being out there. Here is Tom falling from the sky on an absolute bomb. Despite this horrific wipeout, he walked away rattled, but alive.

Here’s what Tom had to say about this wave:

post swell reflections negatives = bad positioning with such a big board, I can’t take of that late on a 9″6. Sit a little further out, get in early with that wedge push that they often have. Don’t hesitate on such a big wave, even if it’s was because two guys next to me paddled for it. You waited your turn, if he’s not local then it’s your bomb. Positives = good wave selection, if I’d made the drop, I would have got the best backside tube of my life!!! Good board choice for the day. Epic pencil drop, was best call looking at the footage. Most importantly I felt very relaxed during the wipeout, and didn’t rely on my Patagonia vest. Let’s hope I use this knowledge on the next swell @bastienbonnarme #puertosurf #xxl @vanssurf @hubbox_ @chris_christenson73

A photo posted by Tom Lowe (@tomloweyo) on May 7, 2015 at 2:46pm PDT

To see more of Bastien’s photography, check out his website.